Before this, the group had been squatting in a building owned by Wadham College. They were forced out of this former VW showroom, where they had been squatting for two months, by a possession order issued by the leaseholders of the bottom floor of the building.

The demonstration took place outside of the Saïd Business School, coinciding with its third annual Oxford Real Estate Conference.

Commenting on the move, Neo, a homeless man and one of the organisers for the group, said: “The old space wasn’t suitable; there were no separate rooms and the water was off, but it was a dry space for people to keep their belongings.”

Open House volunteer Miranda Shaw said: “It was either we give up or we go big. Again. There are still so many empty buildings and people need safe and secure places to keep their belongings and sleep safely.”

Neo added: “People don’t understand what we have done. We have people who have stopped drinking and are now working. If people end up back on the streets it’s inevitable they will go back to their old ways.”

The group is looking for a more permanent solution, and has met with Oxford City Council officers, as well as representatives from the University and local churches, to investigate empty commercial premises in the city.